Lord Of Life Property Maintenance Work Order Request: Fill & Download for Free

Three good answers already. I would only note that archaeology and history are large complementary not contradictory sciences. Without some historical record, archaeologists find it more difficult to interpret their findings. (E.g. the remnants of great cities in the Sudan and Yemen that, due to the lack of historical records, we known almost nothing about.) On the other hand, archaeologists can often provide hard, cold, stone evidence of things that written records ignored or misrepresented.In my specialty, the crusader states, archaeology from the end of the last century forced historians to radically revise their previous theories. Here is the story of that change.For the better part of the 20th century, Frankish society in the Holy Land was depicted as a decadent urban elite, collecting rents from oppressed native farmers. Allegedly, the Franks were afraid to venture into the hostile environment of the countryside, not only because of an “ever-present” Saracen threat but also because they were hated by their own tenants and subjects. Some historians such as Joshua Prawer did not hesitate to draw parallels between Frankish rule in Palestine/Syria and apartheid in South Africa. Yet such conclusions, no matter how superficially convincing or confidently proclaimed, were rendered obsolete by the meticulous studies and archaeological surveys conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. What follows is a short summary of the findings of these studies.In his seminal work Frankish Rural Settlement in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (Ellenblum, Ronnie. Cambridge University Press, 1998) Professor Ellenblum has catalogued the findings of meticulous (indeed tedious) study of legal documents recording the demarcation and/or sale and settlement of disputes over landed property combined with an intensive archaeological survey. The “data mining” of the documents enabled the “reconstruction” of entire villages ― property by property ― identifying in the process the origins and vocations of many of the inhabitants. The archaeological survey turned up roughly 200 Frankish settlements in the geographically limited area of the study alone. Most of these had never been heard of before, either because the settlements themselves had since been abandoned, ruined and obliterated by nature, or because their Frankish origins were hidden behind modern Arabic names and more recent construction.This research revealed that Frankish rural settlement was much more widespread than had been previously assumed ― without evidence. The Franks, the survey proved, built large numbers of smaller towns and villages, often without walls or fortifications of any kind ― a clear indication that they did not feel as threatened as historians hypothesized. The survey further uncovered evidence of Frankish manor houses and farmhouses, of Frankish mills, irrigation, and terracing systems and of roads. The latter, as Ellenblum points out, required not only a major investment in construction but also a permanent investment in maintenance.Perhaps most significant, the survey turned up hundreds of parish churches, an investment that underlined the fact that these villages were not inhabited by a Muslim peasant population. The villagers and permanent residents of these Frankish settlements were irrefutably Christian since churches need not be built where there are no parishioners. (Note: in other regions mosques proliferated.)Copyright M. FoltzWhile it cannot be proved that the Frankish lords lived permanently in the rural castles and manors they built, it is hardly credible that they built large, expensive stone manors and castles for the comfort of their “oppressed” native serfs. Furthermore, the documentary evidence revealed that many of these rural manors owed sergeants or knights to the lord. In short, just as in Europe, these rural estates were held as fiefs by the Frankish elite.In contrast to the assumptions of earlier historians, the backbone of the Frankish army was composed of rural knights, who drew their income from agriculture not urban “money fiefs.” The knights of Outremer, far from being the decadent city-dwellers of legend, were countrymen and farmers, just as they were in Western Europe. Equally significant, the Frankish settlers did not displace the local inhabitants, expelling them from their land and houses. They did not deprive them of either their land or their status.On the contrary, the documentary evidence proves that the Franks were punctilious in recording and respecting the rights of the Syrian inhabitants. Rather than displacing the locals, they built villages and towns in previously unsettled areas or, more commonly, built beside existing towns. The most common pattern was to build a castle/manor on the highest point outside an existing town/village and settle Frankish farmers at the foot of this administrative center. The native towns and villages, usually located in valleys, were left intact along with the ownership of the land cultivated by the native inhabitants. What this meant is that the Frankish settlers were bringing new land under cultivation. To do that they built terraces, reservoirs, cisterns and highly sophisticated irrigation systems, sometimes based on dams and mills or employing aqueducts.And who were these settlers? Based on nearly complete records for a sampling of settlements it is possible to show that these settlers came from widely separated areas in the West. For example, in the town of Mahomeria 150 Frankish households were identified with heads-of-household originating in Burgundy, Poitiers, Lombardy, the Ile de France, Bourges, Provence, Gascony, Catalonia, the Auvergne, Tournai, Venice and eight other towns no longer clearly identifiable but apparently in France or Italy. The largest number of families coming from any one place was four.This helps explain why, as Fulcher of Chartres claimed in his History, the settlers rapidly lost their ties to their “old country” and identified with their new residence. (“We who were Occidentals have now become Orientals. He who was a Roman or a Frank has in this land been made into a Galilean or Palestinian.” Fulcher of Chartres, A History of the Expedition to Jerusalem, 1095-1127, Book II.) Ellemblum points out that the 12th century was a period in which many people were emigrating from their place of birth to new areas in search of better opportunities, and that the Holy Land was only one of the options available to these adventurous and ambitious settlers.Equally important, and a major thesis of Ellenblum’s work, is the fact that the “Franks” (whatever their place of origin) settled almost exclusively near to existing native Christian communities. Even new settlements were in regions where the nearest communities were predominantly Christian. Indeed, the Franks in some cases built castles in response to requests from the native Christian population. For example, the castle of Kerak in Oultrejourdain was built in 1142 because “the Christian inhabitants of the place begged the Franks to build the castle in order to protect them.” (Ellenblum, p. 141.) However, as Ellenblum proves, the Franks avoided settling in regions that were predominantly Muslim.This was possible because large parts of the Holy Land were still predominantly Christian. For example, Muslim scholar Ibn al-Arabi, who spent several years in Palestine shortly before the First Crusade, wrote that the countryside around Jerusalem (as opposed to the region around Acre) was “still theirs” ― i.e. still Christian! Indeed, areas with the greatest concentration of Frankish settlements in the 12th century still had many towns that were still predominately ― if not exclusively ― Christian in the 1922 census! For example, the 1922 census for the town of Abud recorded 335 Greek Orthodox Christians and 41 Latin Christians and not one single Muslim.What this tells us is that the Islamization of the Holy Land was neither as complete nor as geographically homogeneous as historians previously assumed. If, as has been argued by other historians, people converted to Islam to avoid the extra taxes, humiliations and disadvantages of life as a "dhimmis” (non-Muslims of either Christian or Jewish faith, i.e. “people of the Book,” who had not yet converted to Islam), then Islamization should have occurred evenly across the entire region. Opportunists and men of ambition are not concentrated by location. Yet, as Ellenblum proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Muslim population was concentrated in clearly delineated regions.Ellenblum postulates that the Muslim population of the Holy Land in the 12th century were for the most part not converts but immigrants. Taking the example of Samaria, a predominantly Muslim region during the crusader period, he shows that the region had been largely depopulated before the Arab invasions. “In the revolt of 529 almost 20,000 Samaritans were killed in one battle and others fled over the Jordan…The last revolt of 556 was followed by massive expropriation of property and a plague that decimated the population.” (Ellenblum, p. 262.) When the Arab invasion came, Samaria was still desolate and largely unpopulated: “…the region was abandoned by its original sedentary population and the subsequent vacuum was apparently filled by nomads who, at a later stage, gradually became sedentarized.” (Ellenblum, p. 264.) In short, by the 12th century, the inhabitants of Samaria were largely Muslim, but not because the Christian/Jewish/Samaritan population had converted, but rather because Muslims from elsewhere had settled there.The patterns of settlement meticulously documented by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has other implications for Frankish society. Because Franks settled almost exclusively in regions that were still predominantly Christian they did not feel like aliens nor did they feel threatened by possible cooperation between their native neighbors and their Muslim enemies. After all, in several well-documented cases “the local Christian population…was overjoyed at the conquest of First Crusade and…welcomed the Frankish conquerors.” (Ellenblum, p.136)When the Frankish settlers (farmers and craftsmen rather than soldiers) followed the crusaders (men of war) to the Holy Land, they built and shared the churches with the Orthodox natives, just as they shared the markets and intermarried with native Christians. Native Christians, as Christopher MacEvitt (The Crusades and the Christian World of the East: Rough Tolerance. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008) also documented, were integrated into the Frankish administration. While they did not form the pinnacle of either secular or ecclesiastical society, they held positions of authority, responsibility, and trust.In conclusion, the work of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem shows that the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem was not a fragile construct composed of a tiny and frightened alien, urban elite living separated from (and looking down on) their predominantly Muslim subjects. The Frankish elites did not hide behind the high walls of cities and isolated castles, in constant fear of their “subjugated” native population and the next Saracen attack. On the contrary, the Muslims living inside the Kingdom were almost certainly still a minority of the population, living in concentrated pockets where the Franks did not settle. There is not one recorded incident of a Muslim revolt against the Franks after the kingdom was firmly established in 1120.Likewise, although there were urban Latin elites, notably the Italian communes, that were by nature city-dwellers in Italy no less than in Syria, these were not the backbone of Frankish society. Large numbers, easily more than the previously estimated 140,000 Frankish settlers (estimates that pre-date the archaeological survey of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem), lived in essentially rural communities, making up a substantial portion of the population. Most of the knights of the Frankish army, like knights in England and France, likewise lived on rural estates and earned their income from agriculture.Such is the power of archaeology to change historical perspectives! Yet, good historians adapt their theories to take into account the findings of archaeologists. Thus both fields assist one another in helping us understand the past.

I am amazed at how many questions there are ABOUT the Bhagavad Gita - no one seems to want to actually read the book! I am also astonished at how many Indians living in India ask where to obtain a copy of the Gita!! Ye gods! Living by the river and asking for water! Now the final answers from my personal point of view.The cheapest and lightest copy of the Gita is the Penguin edition.Several Apps are available for down load to your smartphone.The best classical commentaries are those of Ramanuja and Shankara which are really turgid and highly technical in discussion and argument and not advisable for the beginner.For the beginner I would recommend the commentary of Swami Sivananda (Divine Life Society Rishikesh - available from their website for free). Or the commentary of Swami Chinmayananda.For those who are time or IT skill poor, I herewith submit a summary of the Gita for your edification and delight — please use the copy and paste keys to insert it into a document on your desktop and read at your leisure.Chapter 1The Gītā is a section of the great Indian Epic — The Mahabharata. There is a dispute over the inheritance of the empire by two sets of cousins. The rightful heir to the throne is Prince Pandu who died prematurely, his blind brother Dhritarashtra ruled the kingdom in his stead. The sons of Pandu — the Pandavas led by Arjuna when coming of age requested the return of the kingdom. The sons of Dhritashtra — the Kauravas led by Duryodhana refused to surrender or even to share the empire.Arjuna had sent Krishna as his ambassador to negotiate a peaceful settlement, and every diplomatic means had been employed to come to an agreement and to avoid the war, but the Kauravas were absolutely intransigent and pressed for resolution through armed conflict.So after exhausting all viable options the two armies are assembled on the field of battle ready for battle. As they stand facing each other, Arjuna directed Krishna who is acting as his charioteer to station his chariot between the two armies so that he may look upon all those who are gathered to fight him. Among the opposition are cousins, uncles, nephews, friends and associates. Becoming despondent through misplaced sympathy Arjuna lays down his bow and refuses to fight. The Gītā is the discourse between him and Krishna as to the nature of one's professional duties and how one should conduct oneself in the world.Arjuna’s GriefWhen Arjuna saw all these kinsmen in array,he was filled with deep compassion and said these words in despair...Arjuna said:—O Krishna, seeing my kinsmen present here, eager for battle, my limbs go weak, my mouth dries up, my body trembles and my hair stands on end.I desire not victory, nor empire, nor pleasures. Of what use to us is an empire, O Krishna, or enjoyment or even life itself? I will not fight!Chapter 2. — Communion through KnowledgeThe Blessed Lord said:—11. You grieve for those who should not be grieved for; yet you speak words of apparent wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the dead nor for the living.13. Just as the embodied Self passes through childhood, youth and old age [pertaining to that body], so [at death] it passes into another body. A wise man is not confused thereby.16. The unreal can never come into being, the real never ceases to be. The conclusion about these two is discerned by the seers of truth.20. The jīva is never born; it never dies; having been existent in the past, it will never cease to be [in the future]. Unborn, eternal, abiding and primeval, it is not slain when the body is slain.22. As a person casts off worn-out garments and puts on others that are new, so does the embodied Self cast off its worn-out bodies and enter into others that are new.24. It cannot be cut; it cannot be burnt; it cannot be wetted and it cannot be dried, it is eternal, all-pervading, stable, immovable and primeval.26. Or, if you consider this Self to be repeatedly born and repeatedly dying, even then, O Maha-bahu (Mighty-armed-one), it does not become you to feel grief.27. For death is indeed certain for everything that is born, and re-birth is certain for that which has died; therefore you should not grieve for what is unavoidable.28. O Arjuna! All beings [in the universe] have a beginning that is unknown, a known middle and an unknown end. Why should there be anguish in relation to any of them?47. To work alone you have the right, and not to the fruits. Do not allow rewards to be your motive for action. Nor be attached to inaction.48. Abandoning attachment and established in Yoga, perform works, viewing success and failure with an even mind. Equipoise is said to be Yoga.49. Action with attachment [to results] is far inferior, O Arjuna, to action done with equanimity. Seek refuge in wisdom. Miserable are they, who act motived by reward.50. Endowed with wisdom [equanimity] one discards here and now [the results] of good and evil deeds. Therefore devote yourself to Yoga — Yoga is skilful action.62. When one deliberates upon sense-objects, attachment to them arises; from attachment is born desire, from desire arises anger;63. From anger arises delusion; from delusion, the loss of memory; from the loss of memory, the destruction of discrimination; and with the destruction of discrimination, one is lost.64. But one who is self-controlled, moving among the sense-objects with the senses under restraint, free from attraction and aversion, attains tranquillity.65. In that state of serenity all sorrow is overcome; for in the case of one with a serene mind, the intellect soon becomes well established.69. The self-controlled one is awake during what is night for all beings, when all beings are awake, that is the night to the enlightened one.71. The individual who, abandoning all desires, perseveres without longing, devoid of the notion of possession and the sense of egoistic self-importance — he attains peace.Chapter 3 — Communion through ActionArjuna said:—1. If, O Krishna you consider that Buddhi (mind-development) is superior to Karma (action), why do you urge me to engage in this terrible deed?The Blessed Lord said:—4. No one achieves freedom from activity (Naiś-karmyam) by abstaining from works; and no one ever attains success by mere renunciation of works.5. Verily no one can remain even for a moment, without performing action; for everyone is forced to act, helplessly indeed, by the Material Modes [Gunas].8. You must perform your obligatory duties; for action is superior to non-action (meditation). For not even the maintenance of the body is possible by inaction.9. This world is bound by actions other than those performed as sacrifice. O Arjuna, you must perform work to this end [for sacrifice alone], free from attachment.20. Verily, by Karma Yoga alone did Janaka and others reach perfection. Indeed, you should act, bearing in mind the welfare of the world.25. Just as the ignorant act with attachment their work, so should the wise act without any attachment, and only for the welfare of the world.26. The wise should not confuse the minds of the ignorant who are attached to work; rather himself performing work with devotion, he should inspire others to do likewise.33. Even an enlightened person acts in conformity to his own nature; beings follow their nature; what will restraint do?Arjuna said:—36. But, impelled by what, O Krishna, does one err even against one's own will, constrained as it were, by force?The Blessed Lord said:—37. It is desire, it is anger, born of the Guna of Rajas; all-devouring, an impeller to sin. Know this to be the foe here.39. Wisdom is obscured by this constant enemy of the wise, in the form of desire, which is as insatiable as fire.Chapter 4 — Communion through WisdomThe Blessed Lord said:—19. He whose every undertaking is free from desire for personal gain and the delusive identification [of the body with the Self], whose karmas are burnt up in the fire of knowledge — him the wise describe as a sage.20. Having renounced attachment to the fruits of one’s actions, ever contented with the eternal (Self), and dependent on none, one does not verily act, even though engaged in activity.21. Free from expectation, with the mind controlled, relinquishing all notions of possessiveness, and merely doing physical activity, one does not incur blame.22. Content with what comes without effort, transcending the pairs of opposites, free from ill-will, balanced in success and failure, though acting, one is not bound.34. Know that by full prostration, by extensive questioning and by service, the wise, who have realised the truth, will instruct you in [that] teaching.38. Verily, there is no purifier in this world equal to knowledge; one that is perfected in Karma Yoga discovers this (knowledge) spontaneously, in oneself in due time.42. Therefore, with the sword of knowledge, cut asunder this doubt present in your heart, arising from ignorance concerning the Self. Arise and practise this [Karma] Yoga.Chapter 5 — Communion through RenunciationThe Blessed Lord said:—2. Renunciation of actions and Karma Yoga, both lead to the highest beatitude. But, of these two, Karma Yoga is superior to the renunciation of actions.3. One who neither resents nor desires is to be known as a perpetual renunciate: verily one who is free from the pairs of opposites is easily liberated from bondage.7. One who is devoted to the path of Action and is pure of mind, who is self-controlled, has conquered the senses and has realized identity with all beings, even while acting, remains untainted.18. The sages regard with equality one well-endowed with learning and humility, a Brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater.19. Even here and now Samsāra is overcome by those whose minds rest in equanimity. For the Brahman (individual Self), when uncontaminated by Prakrti, is the same everywhere, therefore they are established in Brahman.23. One who is able, even here, before one is released from the body, to resist the impulses arising from desire and anger, is a Yogi (competent for Self-realization); and a happy person.26. To those who are free from desire and anger, who aspire [for realisation] whose minds are controlled, and who have attained self-mastery — the Great Nirvana is close at hand.Chapter 6 — Communion through MeditationThe Blessed Lord said:—3. For the sage who seeks to ascend to the heights of Yoga, action is said to be the means; but when one has reached the summit of Yoga, quiescence is said to be the means.5. One should raise one’s Self by one’s own mind and not allow one’s Self to sink; for the mind alone is the friend of the Self, and the mind alone is the adversary of the Self.6. The mind is the friend of one who has conquered the mind. But for one whose mind is uncontrolled, the mind, like an adversary, remains hostile.9. One who regards with equality, well-wishers, friends, foes, the indifferent, neutrals, the hateful, relatives, and even the righteous and the unrighteous — excels.10. The Yogi should constantly apply the mind to Yoga, remaining alone in a solitary place, controlling discursive thinking, free from desire and the sense of possession,11. In a clean place, having established for oneself a firm seat which is neither too high nor too low, and covering it with cloth, deer-skin and kusha grass one over the other,12. there, sitting on the seat, focusing the mind in concentration, with the thoughts and the senses restrained, one should practice Yoga for the purification of the mind.13. Holding the trunk, head and neck erect, motionless and steady, focusing [the attention] at the tip of the nose, and without looking around;14. Serene and fearless, firm in the vow of celibacy, holding the mind in check and fixing the thoughts on Me, one should sit in meditation, holding Me to be Supreme.16. Yoga is not for one who over-eats, nor for one who fasts excessively; nor for one who sleeps too much, nor for one who stays awake for lengthy periods, O Arjuna.17. Yoga becomes the destroyer of sorrow for one who is moderate in food and recreation, who is temperate in actions, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.19. The controlled mind of a Yogi who practices Yoga is compared to a lamp which does not flicker when placed in a windless spot.20. When the mind, restrained by the practice of Yoga, attains that Infinite Bliss, and when seeing the Ātman by the mind, one is satisfied by the Ātman alone;21. when one knows that intense joy which can be experienced by the intellect but is beyond the grasp of the senses, wherein established one departs not from that condition;22. having gained which, one considers that there is no greater gain than it; wherein established, one is not moved even by the heaviest sorrow—23. know this [state] of deliverance from association with suffering to be Yoga. This Yoga must be practiced with determination and with a mind free from despondency.26. Wherever the fickle and unsteady mind wanders, one should subdue it then and there, and bring it back under the control of the Self alone.29. With the mind harmonised by Yoga one sees equality everywhere; one sees one’s Self as abiding in all beings and all beings in one’s own Self.30. He who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me; I am not separated from him and he is never separated from Me.The Blessed Lord said:—35. The mind is undoubtedly hard to subdue and fickle, O mighty-armed one, but by repeated practice and by the exercise of dispassion it can be brought under control.36. In my opinion Yoga [harmony] is hard to attain by a person of unrestrained mind. However, it can be attained through skilful means by one, who strives for it and has a subdued mind.The Blessed Lord said:—40. Neither here [in this world] nor there [in the next], there destruction for him. For verily, no one who does good, ever comes to grief.41. Having attained to the realms of the righteous and dwelt there for many long years, one who has fallen from Yoga is born again in the house of the pure and prosperous.Chapter 12 — Communion Through DevotionArjuna said:—1. Of those devotees, who, ever integrated with You, meditate on You thus, and of those again, who meditate on the imperishable and the unmanifest [i.e. ātman] — which of these have greater knowledge of Yoga?The Blessed Lord said:—5. But greater is the vexation of those whose minds are thus attached to the unmanifest. For the way of the unmanifest is onerous for embodied beings to follow.12. Wisdom is far better than the practice [of mindfulness of the Lord]. Meditation is esteemed to be better than wisdom; and the renunciation of fruits of action is better than meditation — from such renunciation, peace ensues.13. Not prejudiced towards any living being, friendly and compassionate to all, free from the notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, and regarding all pain and pleasure with equanimity, and forbearing;14. contented, constantly contemplating, self-restrained and firm in one’s convictions, dedicating the mind and intellect to Me — such a devotee is dear to Me.15. He by whom the world is not disturbed, and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy and jealousy, fear and repulsion — he is dear to me.16. One who is free from expectations, who is uncontaminated, skilled, impartial and free from anxiety, who has renounced every undertaking— is dear to Me.17. One who is full of devotion to Me, who rejoices not, nor hates, nor grieves, nor desires, and who renounces both merit and demerit — such a devotee is dear to me.18. He who is impartial to both foe and friend, honour and dishonour, who is indifferent to both cold and heat, pleasure and pain and who is free from all attachments;19. to whom both censure and praise are equal, who is silent [when praised or abused] and content with any condition, who has no home, who is steady of mind, and who is devoted to Me — dear to Me is such a person.20. But those devotees who adopt this ambrosial virtuous conduct (dharma) as taught above, who are full of faith and who regard Me as the Supreme — they are exceedingly dear to Me.Chapter 14 — The Threefold Division of the Modes of Material NatureThe Blessed Lord said:—5. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are the Gunas that arise from Prakrti. They cause the bondage of the immutable Self to the body, O Arjuna.6. Of these, Sattva, being pure is illuminating and free from morbidity. It causes bondage through attachment to pleasure and to learning.7. Know that Rajas is of the nature of passion arising from craving and attachment, it causes the bondage of the embodied Self through attachment to action.8. Know that Tamas is born of nescience and causes the delusion of all embodied Selves. It causes bondage, through negligence, indolence and sleep.9. The Mode of Sattva generates attachment to pleasure, Rajas to action. But the Mode of Tamas, obscuring wisdom, generates attachment to negligence.10. Prevailing over Rajas and Tamas, Sattva [sometimes] prevails. Overwhelming Tamas and Sattva, Rajas preponderates, overwhelming Rajas and Sattva, Tamas [sometimes] predominates.11. When the light of wisdom radiates from all the gateways (senses) of the body, then, one should know that Sattva prevails.12. Greed, activity, undertaking of projects, restlessness and craving — these arise, when Rajas is ascendant.13. Non-illumination, inactivity, negligence and even delusion — these arise when Tamas prevails.16. The result of a good deed, they say, is pure and is of the nature of Sattva, but the result of Rajas is suffering; and that of Tamas is ignorance.17. From Sattva, wisdom arises, and from Rajas greed, from Tamas arise negligence and delusion, and indeed, ignorance.18. Those who persist in Sattva rise upwards; those who abide in Rajas remain in the middle; and those, remaining in the lowest tendencies of Tamas go downwards.23. He is said to transcended the Gunas, who remains like one indifferent, undisturbed by the Gunas; and who, knowing that it is the Gunas that are active, remains stable and does not act;24. One who is poised in pleasure and pain, who focuses within, to whom a clod, a stone and piece of gold are of equal value, who remains the same towards the pleasant and the unpleasant and who is intelligent, and regards both censure and praise of himself as equal;25. one who is the same in honour and dishonour, and the same to friend and foe, and who has abandoned all enterprises — such a person is said to have transcended the Gunas.Chapter 16 — The Division between the Divine and the Non-Divine.The Blessed Lord said:—1. Fearlessness, purity of mind, consistent contemplation on wisdom, philanthropy, self-control, worship, study of Vedas, self-discipline, forthrightness,2. Non-injury, truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquillity, freedom from slandering, compassion to all beings, freedom from hankering, gentleness, modesty, freedom from whimsicality;3. Refulgence, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from spite and humility these treasures, O Arjuna, belong to one who is born to a Divine Estate.4. Religious hypocrisy, hubris, self-conceit, anger, rudeness and ignorance these, O Arjuna, belong to one who is born to a non-Divine estate.5. The Divine Estate is deemed to lead to Liberation, the Non-divine to bondage. Grieve not, O Arjuna, you are born to a Divine Estate.7. The Non-divine know neither the right action nor what to refrain from. Neither purity, nor right conduct nor truthfulness is found in them.9. Holding this view, these embittered ruined people of deficient intellects commit many atrocities that lead to the destruction of the world.l0. Filled with insatiable desires, grabbing through delusion unjustly acquired resources, and committed to vicious resolutions, they act, full of ostentation, pride and arrogance.11. Subject to immeasurable anxieties, which extend to the very dissolution of the universe, regarding sense-gratification as their highest ideal, and convinced that this is all;12. Bound by hundreds of fetters of hopes, preoccupied with desire and anger, they strive by unjust means to amass resources for the gratification of their desires.21. Self-referent desire, anger and greed — this is the threefold gateway to Naraka (hell), ruinous to the Self. Therefore one should abandon these three.Chapter 17 — The Three Classifications of Conviction.The Blessed Lord said:—3. The conviction (śraddha) of each person is in accordance with one's character. A person consists of conviction, and whatever one's conviction is, that verily one is.The Threefold Classification of Food.8. A diet which promotes longevity, intellectual alertness, energy, health, pleasure and cheerfulness and those that are succulent, nutritional, substantial and agreeable, are preferred by Sattvic people.9. Foods that are bitter, sour, very salty, very hot, very sharp, astringent and heating, are all dear to Rajasic people, they produce pain, discomfort and disease.10. Foods which are stale, tasteless, foul, putrid, left-over and impure, are loved by Tamasic people.The Three Grades of Spiritual Practice.11. The Sattvic yajña (sacrifice) is one that is offered by one without a desire for reward and with the conviction that it should be performed as enjoined in the Śāstras.12. That yajña which is offered with an expectation of reward and for the sake of ostentation, know that to be Rajasic.13. That yajña which is not based upon Scriptural authority, with unsanctioned offerings, devoid of the recitation of mantras, lacking in gifts of appreciation and faith—that is considered to be Tamasic.The Threefold Division of Tapas (self-discipline)14. Adoration of the gods, the twice-born, the preceptors, the enlightened ones, purity, rectitude, chastity and non-injury, these are said to be the physical disciplines.15. Speech that does not cause distress and which is true, agreeable and beneficial, and also the recitation of the Vedas are called the verbal disciplines.16. Peace of mind, benevolence, silence, self-restraint, perfect mindfulness — these are called mental disciplines.17. This threefold self-discipline, practiced with firm conviction by those who desire no reward and are devoted — is called Sattvic self-discipline.18. Discipline, practiced with ostentation for the sake of gaining respect, praise and reverence, is considered to be Rajasic. It is unstable and transient.19. That self-discipline which is practiced with foolish obstinacy by means of self-torture or in order to injure another is declared to be Tamasic.The Three Kinds of Charity20. The charity that is dispensed from a sense of duty, to one who does not reciprocate, at the proper place and time to a deserving person — that is said to be Sattvic.21. But that which is given as a consideration for something received or in expectation of future reward, or grudgingly, is considered to be Rajasic22. That gift which is given at the wrong place and wrong time to unworthy recipients, without due respect and with derision, is considered to be Tamasic.Chapter 18 — Liberation Through RenunciationThe Blessed Lord said:—2. The enlightened ones understand that renunciation (Sannyāsa) means the giving up of all works which are motivated by desire. The wise declare relinquishment (Tyāga) to be the relinquishment of the fruits of all works.3. Some learned ones say that all actions should be given up as defective; others declare that works such as yajña, philanthropy and self-discipline should not be given up.5. The acts of yajña, philanthropy and self-discipline should not be relinquished; but should be performed. For yajña, philanthropy and self-discipline are the purifiers of the wise.6. It is My considered and final opinion that even these [three] practices should be done relinquishing all attachment and the desire for reward.10. The one who has renounced, being wise and imbued with Sattva, free from doubts neither hates disagreeable work nor clings to an agreeable one.11. For, it is impossible for an embodied being to abandon work entirely. But one who foregoes the rewards of works, is called a renunciate.The Threefold Division of Knowledge20. That knowledge which reveals one immutable reality in all beings, and not as separate in the different bodies — know that knowledge to be Sattvic.21. But that knowledge which sees various and distinctive (spiritual) entities in all the different (physical) beings — know that knowledge to be Rajasic.22. But that which adheres to one single act as if it were the whole, which is not founded on reason, and which is untrue and trivial — that knowledge is declared to be Tamasic.The Threefold Division of Acts23. That obligatory work which is done without attachment, without desire or aversion, by one who desires no reward is said to be Sattvic.24. But that act which is performed with great effort by one who longs to gratify desires and prompted by self-interest; is said to be Rajasic.25. That task which is undertaken through delusion, disregarding the consequences, loss, injury and one's own capacity is said to be TamasicThe Threefold Division of Agents26. An agent who is free from attachment, and self-acclaim, who is endowed with perseverance and enthusiasm and is unaffected by success and failure, is said to be Sattvic.27. That agent is known as Rajasic who is swayed by desire and motivated by gain, stingy, cruel, impure and overwhelmed by delight and grief.28. That agent who is unqualified, vulgar, obstinate, unscrupulous, dishonest, lazy, morose and a procrastinator is said to be TamasicThe Threefold Division of Rationalism (Buddhi) and Fortitude (Dhṛti)30. That Rationalism is considered to be Sattvic, which discerns extroversion (pravṛtti— material goals) and introversion (nivṛtti — spiritual goals), what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and freedom from fear, bondage and liberation.31. The Rationalism which produces a mistaken conception of Dharma and Adharma and also of what ought to be done and what ought not to be done is Rajasic.32. That Rationalism, which, enveloped in darkness, regards Adharma as Dharma and which reverses every value is Tamasic.33. That perseverance by which one, through steady application, maintains the consistent functioning of the mind and metabolism and the work of these sense-organs — that perseverance is of the nature of Sattva.34. That perseverance by which, on account of attachment and desire for rewards, one adheres to [the pursuit of] Dharma, Kāma and Artha is Rajasic.35. That perseverance by which a foolish person does not give up sleep, fear, grief, depression and passion is of the nature of Tamas.The Threefold Division of Happiness36. Now hear from Me the threefold division of happiness, in which one enjoys by continued practice and by which one is surely freed from suffering;37. That joy which is like poison at first but eventually becomes like ambrosia, arising from the serene state of the mind focusing on the Atman — such joy is said to be Sattvic.38. That pleasure which arises from contact of the sense organs with their objects, which at first is like ambrosia but in the end like poison — that is declared to be Rajasic.39. That pleasure which is characterised by self-delusion both in the beginning and the sequel, arising from sleep, indolence and negligence is declared to be Tamasic.51. Endowed with a purified intellect, subduing the mind by steadfastness, relinquishing sound and other objects of the senses and abandoning attraction and aversion;52. Resorting to solitude, eating moderately, restraining speech, body and mind, perpetually engaged in the Yoga of meditation and practicing dispassion;53. Forsaking self-affirmative ideation, power play, arrogance, desire, anger and property, free from the notion of possessiveness and tranquil — one becomes worthy of the state of Brahman.63. Thus I have taught you that knowledge which is the greatest of all mysteries. Reflecting on it thoroughly, do what you will.Arjuna said:—73. Destroyed is my delusion and I have, by Your grace, O Krishna, gained insight (Smrti). Freed from doubts, I stand steadfast, I will act according to Your word.

Description: The various civil, social, political and economic rights which have been given to women in Islam.Today people think that women are liberated in the West and that the Women’s liberation movement began in the 20th century. Actually, the women’s liberation movement was not begun by women, but was revealed by God to a man in the seventh century by the name of Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, the last Prophet of God. The Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet are the sources from which every Muslim woman derives her rights and duties.Human RightsIslam, fourteen centuries ago, made women equally accountable to God in glorifying and worshipping Him – setting no limits on her moral progress. Also, Islam established a woman’s equality in her humanity with men. In the Quran, in the first verse of the chapter entitled “Women”, God says:“O mankind! Be careful of your duty toward your Lord who created you from a single soul and from it its mate and from them both have spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward God in Whom you claim (your rights) of one another, and towards the wombs (that bore you). Lo! God has been a Watcher over you.” (Quran 4:1)Since men and women both came from the same essence, they are equal in their humanity. Women cannot be by nature evil (as some religions teach) or then men would be evil also. Similarly, neither gender can be superior because it would be a contradiction to equality.Civil RightsIn Islam, a woman has the basic freedoms of choice and expression based on recognition of her individual personality. First, a non-Muslim woman can not be forced to convert for marriage, or upon the conversion of parents. The Quran states:“There is no compulsion in religion. Right has been made distinct from error.” (Quran 2:256)Women are encouraged in Islam to contribute their opinions and ideas. There are many traditions of the Prophet which indicate that women would pose questions directly to him and offer their opinions concerning religion, economics and social matters.A Muslim woman has full right to approve or deny a proposal of marriage, and her name is to be kept after marriage. A Muslim woman’s testimony is valid in legal disputes. In fact, where women are more familiar, their evidence is conclusive.Social RightsThe Prophet said:“Seeking knowledge is a mandate for every Muslim (male and female).” (At-Tirmidhi)This includes knowledge of the Quran and the Hadeeth as well as other types of knowledge. Men and women both have the capacity for learning and understanding. Since it is also their obligation to promote good behavior and condemn bad behavior in all spheres of life, Muslim women must acquire the appropriate education to perform this duty in accordance with their own natural talents and interests.While bearing, raising and teaching of children, and providing support to her husband and maintenance of a home are among the first, and very highly regarded, roles for a woman, if she has the skills to work outside the home for the good of the community, she may do, so as long as her family obligations are met.Islam recognizes and fosters the natural differences between men and women despite their equality. Some types of work are more suitable for men and other types for women. This in no way diminishes either’s efforts or benefits. God will reward both sexes equally for the value of their work, through, it may not necessarily be the same activity.Concerning motherhood, the Prophet said:“Heaven lies under her feet.” (An-Nasai)This implies that the success of a society can be traced to the mothers who raised it. The first and greatest influence on a person comes from the sense of security, affection, and training received from the mother. Therefore, a woman having children must be educated and conscientious in order to be a skillful parent.Political RightsA right given to Muslim women by God 1400 years ago is the right to voice her opinion on social issues. On any public matter, a woman may voice her opinion and participate in politics. Also, Islam does not forbid a woman from holding important positions in government which suit her role as a woman. Abdurrahman Ibn Awf consulted many women before he recommended Uthman Ibn Affan to be the Caliph.Economic RightsIslam is clear in its teachings that God created men and women to be different, with unique roles, functions and skills. As in society, where there is a division of labor, so too in a family, each member has different responsibilities. Generally, Islam upholds that women are entrusted with the nurturing role, and men, with the guardian role. Therefore, women are given the right of financial support.The Quran states:“Men are the maintainers of women because God has made some of them to excel others and because they spend of their wealth (for the support of women).” (Quran 4:34)This guardianship and greater financial responsibility given to men requires that they provide women with not only monetary support but also physical protection and kind respectful treatment.Muslim women have the privilege to earn money, the right to own property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage all of her assets in any way she pleases. She can run her own business and no one has any claim on her earnings, including her husband.The Quran states:“And in no wise covet those things in which God hath bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others; to men is allotted what they earn, and to women, what they earn; but ask God of His bounty for God hath full knowledge of all things.” (Quran 4:32)A woman inherits from her relatives. The Quran states:“For men there is a share in what parents and relatives leave, and for women there is a share of what parents and relatives leave, whether it be little or much – an ordained share.” (Quran 4:7)Description: The complimentary roles of husbands and wives in Islam.Rights of a WifeThe Quran states:“And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may live in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between you; Verily, in that are signs for people who reflect.” (Quran 30:21)Marriage is therefore not just a physical or emotional necessity but, in fact, a sign from God! It is a relationship of mutual rights and obligations based on divine guidance. God created men and women with complimentary natures and, in the Quran, He laid out a system of laws to support harmonious interaction between the sexes.“…They are your garments and you are their garments….” (Quran 2:187)Clothing provides physical protection and covers the beauty and faults of the body. Likewise, a spouse is viewed this way. Each protects the other and hides the faults and compliments the characteristics of the spouse. To foster the love and security that comes with marriage, Muslim wives have various rights. The first of the wife’s rights is to receive mahr, a gift from the husband, which is part of the marriage contract and required for the legality of the marriage.The second right of a wife is maintenance. Despite any wealth she may have, her husband is obligated to provide her with food, shelter and clothing. He is not forced, however, to spend beyond his capability and his wife is not entitled to make unreasonable demands. The Quran states:“Let the man of means spend according to his means, and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what God has given him. God puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him.” (Quran 65:7)God tells us men are guardians over women and are afforded the leadership in the family. His responsibility for obeying God extends to guiding his family to obey God at all times.A wife’s rights also extend beyond material needs. She has the right to kind treatment. The Prophet said:“The most perfect believers are the best in conduct. And the best of you are those who are the best to their wives.”God tells us He created mates and put love, mercy and tranquility between them.Both men and women have a need for companionship and sexual needs, and marriage is designed to fulfill those needs. For one spouse to deny this satisfaction to the other, the temptation exists to seek it elsewhere.Duties of a WifeWith rights come responsibilities. Therefore, wives have certain obligations to their husbands. The Quran states:“…The good women in the absence of their husbands guard their rights as God has enjoined upon them to be guarded….”(Quran 4:34)A wife is to keep her husband’s secrets and protect their marital privacy. Issues of intimacy or faults of his that would dishonor him, are not to be shared by the wife, just as he is expected to guard her honor.A wife must also guard her husband’s property. She must safeguard his home and possessions, to the best of her ability, from theft or damage. She should manage the household affairs wisely so as to prevent loss or waste. She should not allow anyone to enter the house whom her husband dislikes nor incur any expenses of which her husband disapproves.A Muslim woman must cooperate and coordinate with her husband. There cannot, however, be cooperation with a man who is disobedient to God. She should not fulfill his requests if he wants her to do something unlawful. A husband also should not take advantage of his wife, but be considerate of her needs and happiness.ConclusionThe Quran states:“And it befits not a believing man or a believing woman, when God and His Messenger have decided on an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to God and His Messenger, he verily goes astray in error manifest.” (Quran 33:36)The Muslim woman was given a role, duties and rights 1400 years ago that most women do not enjoy today in the West. These are from God and are designed to keep balance in society; what may seem unjust or missing in one place is compensated for or explained in another place. Islam is a complete way of life.Reference:The Religion of IslamNote: To know more about Women rights in Islam in details based on logical and rational sides from scientific,political,economical,many religious and other aspects,check out this PDF- Womens Rights in Islam- Modernizing or Outdated